TWO-TIME Breeders’ Cup winner and current Godolphin work rider, Kieren Fallon, believes that Notable Speech is a “dream ride” in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but won’t be rooting for the Godolphin horse on Saturday night.
Speaking to Bets And Horses ahead of the 2026 Breeders’ Cup from Keeneland, Fallon said: “The fast ground will suit a lot of the European horses, especially Notable Speech. He’s in great form. I’d say he’s the soundest horse Charlie [Appleby] has ever trained, in every way. He’s never had problems with his wind, he doesn’t bleed, I don’t even think he’s ever taken a false step. Royal Ascot is the only blip in his copybook and going uphill seems to be the only thing he doesn’t like.
“He does so well in Canada because it is a beautiful, flat turf track. It’s perfectly level and it’s always good ground. Canada isn’t as tough a place to go as the rest of North America and I don’t know why more trainers don’t send horses there. The prize money is brilliant, they look after you really well and the tracks are always in great condition.
“Notable Speech obviously has no problem running anywhere – he travels for fun. He’s a dream ride for anyone because you can put him where you want. He has a good draw in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and he should get a nice run into the race.
“That said, I don’t want him to win. I want Lake Forest to win because my son Cieren rides him.
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It will take a high-class performance to derail Notable Speech’s bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the Mile since Wise Dan 13 years ago, and Fallon puts the five-year-old level with Modern Games as the best Godolphin milers of all-time.
“He’d have to be up there with Modern Games,” said Fallon. “Modern Games was a beautiful, compact, genuine miler and Notable Speech is the same. I couldn’t find anything between them, and it’d be a very close race between the two of them.”
Notable Speech will be accompanied at Keeneland by stablemate El Cordobes, who is set to line up in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and Fallon believes he can outrun his odds.
“At 25/1 now, I think El Cordobes is overpriced,” Fallon said. “He went to Belmont a couple of weeks ago and he was heavy when he went over there. His work rider is a really good judge and he expects him to come on a lot for that run. He might not be good enough to beat the likes of Diamond Necklace, but he’s certainly up to running a big race.”
Both the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Mile (8.20pm) and Grade One Breeders’ Cup Turf (9.26pm) will be live on ITV on Saturday evening.
The Breeders’ Cup action from Keeneland begins on Friday, with five races live on ITV from 6.55pm, while on Saturday a card of nine Grade Ones begins at 5.10pm.